Business, Labor, Environmental Groups Unite to Support New York Offshore Wind EnergyClean, emission-free technology could power more than 1.25 million homes and create thousands of jobs

Melville, NY – Leaders from Long Island’s business, organized labor and environmental communities joined with elected officials today to support New York State’s efforts to make offshore wind a key component of Governor Cuomo’s strategy to increase renewable energy, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and spur economic development for New Yorkers.

The broad, diverse coalition came together at a news conference at the Long Island Association offices in Melville in advance of a public meeting hosted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

NYSERDA’s public meetings are part of its process to create an Offshore Wind Master Plan to advance projects that could power more than 1.25 million homes on Long Island and New York City. NYSERDA's Offshore Wind Master Plan is part of Governor Cuomo’s goal to have 50% of New York’s power generated by renewable energy sources by 2030. Offshore wind power can help meet that goal with clean, local, emission-free and cost-effective energy.

NYSERDA’s Offshore Wind Master Plan should create a roadmap for how our state can take advantage of the strong winds far off the coast of Long Island and at the same time protect our coastal and marine wildlife and preserve existing offshore industries and activities.

Farmingdale, NY – Today the Long Island Power Authority and PSEG-Long Island released a long awaited draft plan for current and future energy needs for Long Island. New York has a target to source 50 percent of energy from renewables, including a target to add 2,400 megawatts of offshore wind power to New York’s grid, by 2030. The cost effective investments in offshore wind, energy efficiency and new renewable energy under the draft plan positions the utility to comply with New York State’s targets and outlines a bold path forward for transformation to a 21st century utility.

The three year study concluded that sinking more ratepayer funds in outdated fossil fuel power plants and building new gas plants is unnecessary given the high $5 billion cost, the reduced prices of natural gas and the fact that these outdated investments are not needed for grid reliability. Instead, the findings conclude that the most cost effective new investments will increase the growth of renewable energy from 2017 through 2030 in order to better balance and diversify Long Island’s energy needs and will stabilize and reduce costs for bill payers. The utility plans on adding 800 megawatts of offshore wind and solar in addition to 950 megawatts of rooftop solar, other renewables and energy saving measures.

Historic Tipping Point: Instead of continued investments in outdated fossil fueled power plants, LIPA now plans to add build out renewable energy on Long Island.

Fossil Power Going Down: Power production at Long Island’s legacy power plants has declined since 1999 from about 50% runtime to as little as 11% and is projected decline even further by 2030.

Repowering Can’t Compete with Renewables: electricity from new or refurbished large power plants would cost as much or more than current renewable energy sources. Renewable energy is now cost competitive and future costs are expected to decline further.

50% Renewables by 2030: LIPA's new Energy Guide envisions dramatic growth of renewable energy from 2017 through 2030, in line with NY State mandate to meet half of state’s electricity consumption from renewable energy sources.

Clean Power for 350,000 Homes: 800 MW of solar & offshore wind power will provide enough power for 350,000 homes by 2030, in addition to 950 MW of energy efficiency savings, rooftop solar energy and other renewables.

More Offshore: Governor Cuomo’s 2,400 MW of offshore wind power will likely be off Long Island’s shores and interconnect to the electric grid on Long Island.

Aiming for 100% Renewable Energy: In his 2017 State of the State address, Governor Cuomo laid out New York’s long term objective to meet 100% of our energy needs from renewables by saying: “We want to get 2.4 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030 and we are not going to stop until we reach 100 percent renewable because that’s what a sustainable New York is really all about.”

Uniondale, N.Y.— The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) voted today to formally approve the development of New York’s first ever, and the nation’s largest, offshore wind farm, located off the east end of Long Island. The approved 90-megawatt, 15-turbine offshore wind farm will produce enough energy to power over 50,000 homes. LIPA cited that offshore wind was the most cost effective proposal to meet Long Island’s South Fork energy needs.

Last week, in his bold State of the State announcement, Governor Cuomo committed to building 2,400 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind power by 2030 – enough to power 1.25 million homes. The Administration will also release a master plan by the end of the year, mapping out the state’s intention to build offshore wind to scale, which is essential in ensuring the Governor meets his goal to power 50 percent of New York’s energy from renewables by 2030. The Governor also pledged his support for New York’s first, and the nation’s largest, offshore wind project off the east end of Long Island.

Local, state and national organizations hailed this project as an essential first step towards a bold, long-term, large scale offshore wind program for New York. Building off of LIPA’s historic vote today, groups also urged the LIPA Board of Directors to commit to an additional investment of at least 210 more megawatts of offshore wind in the upcoming Island Wide procurement. The decision, which is expected to happen in March of 2017, will help ensure Long Island becomes a regional hub for a new, clean energy industry, spurring thousands of jobs and economic development opportunities throughout the state....

Uniondale, N.Y. - In response to the Long Island Power Authority’s (LIPA) postponement of today’s vote to approve Deepwater Wind’s proposal to provide offshore wind power to the South Fork, the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Wildlife Federation, Renewable Energy Long Island, and the Sierra Club issued the following statement:

“Today’s announcement to postpone LIPA’s vote for an offshore wind farm over 30 miles from Montauk is deeply disappointing. Last week, Governor Cuomo issued a statement in support of the project, saying: ‘I strongly encourage the Trustees to once again demonstrate New York's leadership on climate change and help achieve the state's ambitious goal of supplying 50 percent of our electricity from renewable energy by 2030.’ Today, we are calling on Governor Cuomo to follow through on this commitment to support offshore wind and work with LIPA to expeditiously reschedule this historic vote.

“We couldn't agree with the Governor more when he says that this project is ‘another opportunity for this state to lead the nation in creating a stronger, more resilient energy system and protecting the environment for future generations.’ When opportunity knocks, we must open the door. We need Governor Cuomo to ensure this vote happens quickly so that offshore wind power becomes a reality for New York.

“A timely commitment to offshore wind power for the South Fork is not only important in achieving Governor Cuomo’s laudable goal of 50 percent renewable energy by 2030, but it’s also critical for ensuring the reliable, cost-effective and clean operation of the electric system on the South Fork. In the absence of this wind farm, LIPA will be forced to add more fossil-fueled power plants that will increase costs for all ratepayers.”

Uniondale, N.Y.— The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) announced today it is recommending development of New York’s first ever offshore wind farm. LIPA’s board will formally vote on the proposed contract at a meeting next Wednesday.

Slated to be the the largest in the nation, this 90-megawatt, 15-turbine offshore wind farm would be located far off the coast of Montauk, at the eastern end of Long Island. Deepwater Wind, one of the country’s leading offshore wind companies, would spearhead the project, which is estimated to be three times larger than the Block Island wind farm project slated to begin operation off the shores of Rhode Island later this year.

For over five years, local, state and national organizations along with communities up and down Long Island in partnership with labor, municipal leaders and businesses have been actively engaged in pushing LIPA to embrace offshore wind power. Today, they cheered this announcement as the necessary first step in a bold long-term large scale offshore wind program for New York. The project will produce enough energy to power about 50,000 Long Island homes by 2022.

The Long Island Power Authority is expected to formally approve the project at the July 20, 2016 board meeting. LIPA and Deepwater Wind are expected to finalize all financial plans for the project by 2017.

[Long Island, NY, January 19, 2016] A diverse group of organizations representing environmental groups, environmental and social justice groups, public health organizations, community groups, municipalities and clean energy companies, came together today to support plans by the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) to continue to grow and expand access to renewable energy on Long Island and to move Governor Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision forward.

LIPA has proposed to implement -- through a tariff change -- a shared renewable energy program (“Community Distributed Generation Net Meter Program”) that will significantly expand renewable energy opportunities on Long Island and conforms with NYS Public Service Commission direction to investor-owned utilities in the rest of the state.

Uniondale – Today, Assemblyman Englebright joined dozens of community leaders at a rally outside LIPA headquarters calling on Governor Cuomo and LIPA to commit to offshore wind power this year. The Assemblyman presented LIPA with a letter of from the Long Island delegation that highlights the tremendous economic opportunity that would come with building wind off Long Island’s coasts.

In addition to the letter, conservation groups presented LIPA and the Department of Public Service with more than 20,000 petition signatures. The groups urged LIPA to follow through on their commitment to invest in 280MW of new renewable energy this year by choosing an offshore wind project 30 miles off the coast of Montauk.